The U.S. made it into Friday’s Olympic team show jumping competition by finishing second in Thursday’s qualifier, which sorted out the 10 countries that will ride for medals Friday from the 20 entered in that discipline at the Games. Those competing start with a clean slate.
There was intense pressure on the U.S. squad after the country’s eventing team failed to medal in Paris and the dressage team was eliminated. Show jumping is “it” If America is going to get a medal at Versailles (and not go home empty-handed, as U.S. equestrians did from London in 2012.).
In the qualifier, Germany was the only team to finish on 0 penalties. The U.S. had 6 faults; clear rounds by Laura Kraut and last-minute sub Karl Cook, while anchor rider McLain Ward collected 4 penalties for a rail at the tallest jump on the course, a vertical standing 1.63 meters, and 2 penalties for going over the 79-second time allowed.
But McLain had no worries about his performance on Ilex, a horse he has been riding for only a few months.
“I was thrilled,” he said after his trip over the fences in a stadium that was packed with fans, as it has been every day of the Olympics.
“I knew going in we had a pretty big margin of error, so I made a plan to be a little conservative and make sure there wasn’t a big blow-up,” he said.
Of his knockdown at the eighth of 14 obstacles, which had wings commemorating the clock on the Musée d’Orsay, he commented, “It was a very light rub and not a big deal. I think all the team performed brilliantly and look very good going into tomorrow. It’s a whole new competition. The horses feel great.”
He added, “I think it’s not only obviously important `job one’ is to qualify. We don’t want to take that for granted, the sport is strong.”
He pointed out that Sweden’s Tokyo Olympics team gold medalist Peder Fredricson, one of the most experienced riders, on one of the most experienced horses, Catch Me Not, had a run-out at the spooky-looking Graffiti Wall fence, so nothing is a given. (Luckily for Sweden, its pathfinder, World Number One Henrik von Eckermann, was fault-free on King Edward.)
Henrik observed, “I always think the first track is the worst one because you’re not really sure. I mean, I know my horse very, very well, but still, you never know — it’s animals, not machines, and you just want to have a good feeling, and you don’t know how it is going to be before you do it.”
What’s important to consider for the U.S. in addition to faults, McLain said, is “How did the horses feel? They felt fresh and jumped well. The time wasn’t super tight today. I made the time always with him, I didn’t put a lot of concern on the time. I didn’t want to have too many (time faults) but there were a couple of places I took my time, especially at the end.”
Karl, riding Caracole de la Roque, had been the alternate but was called off the bench when an alllergy-related question arose about team member Kent Farrington’s Greya. With no drop score under Olympic rules, the team couldn’t take any chances on a horse who might be sub-par.
And the pinch-hitter was ready for his big moment.
“It was very clear, obviously, that I was the alternate, and very clear how late I could be called,” pointed out Karl, who had everything packed and was ready to ride if needed.
“We knew that going in, so it was important to act, all of our prep, everything, last night, this morning, was as if we were showing, because it’s too hard to do that after the fact. We were on the team the whole time, mentally.
Karl Cook and Caracole de la Roque at the macaron fence. (US Equestrian Photo)
He added, “I’d be lying if I said it was easy, but that’s what you’re here to do. It’s not supposed to be easy, it’s supposed to be challenging, it’s supposed to test you, and I’m just so appreciative for the opportunity. I feel proud that I could do that for team USA and my other team members.”
Admitting there was a feeling of pressure before his round, he noted, “Once you pick up the canter, then everything kind of just goes away. I don’t have enough mental ability to do both of those (worry and ride), because it takes so much focus.”
Of his Selle Francais mare, one of the fastest horses in the world, he commented, “She loves this. This is all she loves to do. She gets so excited; I would say she’s zero percent stressed and 100 percent excited.”
He noted with a smile that attitude gives her an edge over her rider. Interestingly, he does most of the warm-up in a different bridle than the hackamore she wears in the show ring.
Laura acknowledged the pressure, saying it was a relief to have produced a perfect trip with Baloutinue, the only horse on the 2024 squad who also competed at the last Games in Tokyo, where the U.S. earned silver.
“I wasn’t 100 percent sure what my plan was going to be,” Laura admitted, “because, to be honest with you, the course wasn’t really suited to him, but going first I just thought I’ve got to go in and be quick, since time is going to be such a factor, and just have faith that he’ll clear the fences. And he did!
“It was pretty nerve-wracking before I went in,” said Laura, who had support from her partner, Nick Skelton, winner of individual gold for Britain at the 2016 Games in Rio.
“It’s never a low-stress event at the Olympic Games,” Laura observed.
Laura Kraut and Baloutinue. (U.S. Equestrian Photo)
Discussing the route designed by Spain’s Santiago Varela and Gregory Bodo of France, she said, “The course was very technical and big. Bodo is a brilliant course builder. I’ve been jumping his courses quite a bit lately. He has a way of sneaking in things that are far more difficult than they appear to be, as he’s done today.”
The course certainly was beautiful, with themed fences including a combination where the most faults were incurred, the Olympic triple of medals and an image of Olympics founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin (wonder what he would have thought of the opening ceremonies); L’Opera, complete with paintings of comfy theater seats on the jump standards, a water jump honoring French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau and a triple bar with a Champs Elysee street sign.
“I’m just very fortunate I have an absolutely amazing horse. He was in the zone and he was on it,” Laura said.
“The water (jump) is quite big, it’s going away from the gate it comes on a bit of an awkward angle and I think some of the horses aren’t quite getting up to the front of it as much as they’d like. Even my horse landed shallow a little bit.”
She also noted the third fence, topped with a gray plank, is difficult and hard to see. Her horse touched it, but luckily it stayed up.
“There’s a lot out there,” Laura observed.
Karl had noted that course designers these days are “playing with color” (the candy-striped rail at the macaron and pastry A element of the double and the pink rail in the middle of the triple came to mind when he said that.) He mentioned it’s hard for both horse and rider to focus on those kinds of poles.
“So making it harder makes it more careful, and that’s what increased the difficulty without having to make it massive,” said Karl.
“It’s a good way the sport is going.”
Laura had only been riding Baloutinue for two months before her last Olympics and hardly knew him at all, but now she has had time to build a partnership.
“It’s really comforting to come here this time knowing the horse. He trusts me and I certainly trust him.
“He has it all, he’s got personality in the stables. When you get on to ride him, he’s all about the business. He’s brave, careful and scopey. That’s kind of what you need when you go to the Olympics.”
“I felt completely confident that he could go in there and do it today,” Laura noted.
He walked into the ring, looked around and saw his fans.
“Even he was excited about it,” she said.
“I think he thought, this was it.”
Coach Robert Ridland was understandably proud, saying, “Our team jumped really well today and executed our first goal of qualifying through to the team final.
“We have another day, though, and need to be prepared for a tough day of competition tomorrow. We obviously had a change to the team this morning, putting Karl and Caracole into the line-up and they really stepped up to the plate for us in a big atmosphere. Laura and Baloutinue are veterans and set the tone with a clear round right off the bat. Karl and Caracole have been on a hot streak and rode a well-executed round for our second clear. McLain and Ilex are looking strong and the entire team is feeling ready for tomorrow’s final.”
The other teams that qualified were Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands, all with 8 penalties. Ireland, favored by many to win the team title, collected 9 penalties to wind up sixth after Shane Sweetnam had a rail with James Kann Kruz and anchor Cian O’Connor dropped the pink rail at the B element of the triple combination with Maurice. Cian also had a time penalty. The third team member, Daniel Coyle, was fault-free with Legacy.
France and Sweden had 12 and 17 penalties respectively, while Israel and Mexico wound up with 20 each to round out the starting list for Friday. Switzerland, usually one of the strongest countries, failed to qualify, finishing twelfth.
Ties were decided by which country was fastest. The U.S. was faster than the others, but that didn’t matter because it was the only one with 6 penalties so a tie did not have to be broken. But speed ability could be handy when it counts for the medals on Friday.
McLain’s buddy Richard Vogel of Germany rides the spectacular United Touch S and is among those touted as an individual medal possibility. But before that, he’s thinking about his team.
“All riders performed well today. I think all three German rounds were smooth, so that makes us optimistic for tomorrow. But we’re also aware that it starts from zero, and besides a good starting position there’s not so much achieved yet – we will see,” he said.
Defending Olympic individual gold medalist Ben Maher of Great Britain and Dallas Vegas Batilly after their clean round. (Photo Jon Stroud Media)
Britain’s defending individual gold medalist Ben Maher made an eleventh-hour swap out of Point Break and put in Dallas Vegas Batilly. Point Break is only 10 years old, and Ben felt with the atmospheric venue and the heat, he needed a horse with more mileage.
“Experience will carry us forward,” he said, noting that as his mare continued her round, “She grew in confidence and really found her feet, so to speak.”
“That was a great start and it’s good just to get going; to be honest, there’s a lot of waiting around and not knowing what’s coming on the first round, but it’s a big enough test today and Dallas Vegas was listening and really on point for me,” Ben commented.
Click here for results.
